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Cotuit Civic Association - Meeting Packet Cotuit Civic Association Meeting Local Comprehensive Plan Comments September 20, 2022 STRENGTHS Group Response Finally started sewer program Friendly staff State Representatives and Town Councilors Parks and recreation Fire Department staff Library Waterways Individual Comment Box Responses Good financial position Wonderful village Variety of beaches OPPORTUNITIES Group Response Enhance parks and recreation specifically here in Cotuit Traffic Desire for a new Fire Department building and an emergency shelter Alternative septic systems can be coordinated, for the time being, in advance of sewer Collaborate with adjacent towns, like Mashpee, for best practices related to sewer The elementary school could be converted to a community center Streets can be improved to be more bike friendly and improved for enhanced pedestrian safety Residential trash pickup Review and consider updating current zoning to provide more opportunities for businesses Individual Comment Box Responses Start planning for preventing water pollution from happening…rather than trying to remediate pollution once it's affecting our water resources To protect water now we need sewers! Ability to address weaknesses and threats Develop more senior housing Draw and keep medical professionals WEAKNESSES Group Response Traffic control and speed enforcement There is desire for more recreation opportunities specifically for the younger population Current condition of Pomponesset Bay and Cotuit Harbor. Efforts should be coordinate to restore and "bring back to life" Poor planning in the 1970s. During the 1970's neighborhoods were developed and coordinated with Town staff without infrastructure, drainage, or sidewalks and now we are paying for it. Individual Comment Box Responses Inadequate beach parking/poor enforcement of non-stickered cars Lack of traffic patrol and speed enforcement Beach cleanliness Overdevelopment in sensitive natural areas Diminution in health of habitat, ecosystems, waterbodies, and watersheds Popponessett and Shoe String Bay DEAD and Cotuit Harbor dead, dead, dying Septic systems Housing for low/middle income Building Department Lack of affordable housing and professional blue and white collar employment CHALLENGES Group Response Coordinating common values that balance the Towns varied geography and economic development Capturing the voice of summer residents Communication. It can be challenging to ensure that all residents are informed and it is important to consider all opportunities to spread the word about current and future efforts.  Water quality. This includes our fresh water aquifer and the sludge in Cotuit Harbor as well as the Marstons Mills River, Santuit River and Little River. Sewer is not expected for 20+ years. A west bound sewer plan should be developed immediately. We cannot wait 20 or so years for sewer. We need to act now. Innovative systems need to be considered; we have failed our septic systems. Additionally, connecting to sewer is expensive and funding opportunities for residents should be coordinated. Continued growth of AirBnB rentals and desire for regulations Inadequate beach parking/poor enforcement of non-stickered cars Desire for more funding to be allocated to Cotuit The Cotuit Elementary School should be protected in perpetuity and we should consider adding a playground We have an aging population and we need to plan ahead for residents to be able to age in place Seasonal fluctuation which impacts population, traffic and economic development Maintaining our character. Cotuit needs a village design criteria to ensure that our character is preserved. There has been an invasion of traffic signs. Speeding enforcement. Subsequently, if speeding is addressed we could limit the amount of traffic signs. Speed needs to be addressed both on land and on water. Lack of existing healthcare facilities and need to retain existing healthcare facilities. Pressure to expand mooring field. Desire to review how moorings are passed down and consider establishing a limit on the number of moorings. Need for mental health facilities that are accessible for all residents Need to develop strategies for recruiting and retaining public services especially entry level positions Maintenance of our private and public roads and coordination with future sewer development including the need to coordinate easements Our waterways are both a strength and a weakness; they need to be protected  When goals are established, we need to promptly prioritize actions that are defined for immediate action. We need to ensure that performance measures are developed to keep track of progress in achieving goals. Individual Comment Box Responses Environment Water quality Continued growth of AirBnB rentals with no parameters on minimum length of stay and no enforcement of noise/nuisance ordinance Lack of availability of healthcare providers Water pollution is increasing: nitrogen -phosphorus; contaminants of emerging concern; virus- pharmaceuticals; PFA’s What is your favorite place in Barnstable? Comment Wall #1 Responses  Sandy Neck Beach  Kalmus Beach  Craigville Beach Prince's Cove Shoestring Bay Crocker's Neck Dead Neck Meadow Point Loop Beach Dead Neck Cotuit Harbor What is your favorite road to travel down? Comment Wall #2 Responses  6A  149  Home If you had one day, where would you bring a visitor? Comment Wall #3 Responses      General Comments Individual Comment Box Responses  The sewering infrastructure project started 10 years too late. Now the bays and their estuaries are under pressure from accelerated eutrophication. Some bays like Shoestring Bay/Popponesset may not be able to sustain the estuaries due to nitrogen input from Title 5 septic. The plan for sewering must be amended to:  Eliminate all Title 5 permitting for new construction and replacement systems within nitrogen-sensitive areas  Accelerate the sewering infrastructure project to a 10-year timeline  Approve more nitrogen-removal systems for septic Without a serious change to the current approach, our waterways will be diminished leading to a falloff in tourism and real estate property values.  Sewers and water quality can NOT WAIT!  Why does the town have so many private roads? Desire a multi-use path for access from village center to Marstons Mills, Osterville and then Hyannis without vehicle traffic. Get rid of 2 acres zoning. Allow easier construction of living quarters besides detached houses. What is one word to describe your ideal community? Individual Comment Box Responses  Quiet  Connected  Calm Inclusive Involved Open space to gather Character Share your ideas & stories Individual Comment Box Responses  We need clean water - wells, town water, and in the ponds and sea